Making Munchie Time a Healthy Time

Do you have the munchies and stacking on the pounds is not an option? Try this delicious munchie satisfying snack, and its healthy! You'll definitely re-think that Kit-Kat and bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos.

You will need:

Directions: Evenly spread a layer of Nutella on the slice of bread. Then evenly spread a layer of Raw Almond Butter on top of that. Tada, that's it. Easy no?

A real health-head would tell you to eat a banana and some almonds, BUT, you and I know that shit is not going to be enough, it is not what you want at the moment! This healthy sugar craver is sooo good! A bit on the sticky side too, so why not wash it down with some milk, perhaps Almond Milk? It does exist, try it sometime and the combination is amazing!


Have a Happy Healthy Munchie

District B13: A Movie Worth Checking out

So you're on Netflix looking for something to watch. Here's a suggestion: District B13.It is an action film and a damn good one. It's made by french director Luc Besson, which means nothing to you other than yes, there will be subtitles. It's an action flick! A lil' reading here and there doesn't matter when its the kicks and bruises that carry the storyline.
The movie is set in Paris, in one of it's most dangerous ghettos called District B13. This area is so dangerous that it is fenced, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, ever. The protagonist of this film is Leito, the righteous resident within B13 who wants the neighborhood gangs to stay away. There is also the police guy Damien Tomaso who wishes to infiltrate B13 and take down the drug-lord Taha. The two work together and you can see the rest.
It is definitely worth watching. Think Ong Bak but with white guys in a concrete jungle! I won't even give you the trailer, here's the opening chase scene.

State of Grace

L Magazine & an American Description of Yummy Roti

I was reading this month's issue of L Magazine, which I love completely and secretly wish to become a journalist for, and something struck me. One of their sections called "Brooklyn's Best Hidden Restaurants" featured Trinidad Ali's Roti Shop. Gasp! My country is finally getting some, though little, recognition for it's culinary greatness.
I was surprised and excited to read the words about this really good roti shop, and I was very dismayed at the comparisons used to convey what Chicken Roti was.

"Their most popular item, the chicken roti [think a curry-filled burrito].... " Oh the shame and sadness that flooded over me. A burrito? Really? I have nothing against burritos, I love them, but the chicken roti IS NOT A burrito. That's just the way it's packed up for sale. In real life, curry chicken is put separately from the roti on a plate.

"...brimming with tender meat that slides off the bone, your choice of pumpkin, potato or spinach, and soupy yellow curry, all wrapped in a soft, warm naan-like tortilla." Our curry is "soupy"? No, no, no! That's not good, or true! It's curry, which is supposed to have a gravy-like consistency. Also, describing roti as a naan-tortilla hybrid, that's just all wrong. I'm aware that most people are more familiar with naan, than the term roti, due to the fact that popular indian restaurants don't feature roti, but naan instead. They're kind of the same thing. It's just a shame that carribean-indian food doesn't get as much recognition that it deserves.

The point of this is: the descriptions bothered me alot, but to person who is unfamiliar with Trinidadian/indian cuisine, the descriptions are perfect to imagine what the food is like. Its just a damn shame though. A Damned Shame.

Amelie

One of my favorite movies. So original. Don't mind the video lacks subtitles to translate the french. You can do without.

Fake it or Take it.

Ever had one of those nights where you're on the couch all by yourself watching re-runs of insert favorite tv show here all by yourself? Ever felt like you want to ask all the questions you have about the world and life, while texting your best friend? Ever wish you were drunk or somewhat intoxicated so you would be feel like those questions would be totally legit?

Why is it, we feel like alcohol or insert preferred substance or anything is necessary for us to ask those questions that reveal that inner layer of insecurity hidden underneath the fabulous persona we've grown into?

Adult life, which we are all forced to enter whether or not we like it, seems to have drowned our ability to "enjoy". After living for some amount of years, the production of shock and awe have come to a numbing drag. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I am bored.

Shock me.

Really UP

The Pixar film UP! is now on netflix. My friends and I watched it today and my boyfriend shared a hilarious picture concerning the little boy, Russell.




Keep looking back and forth - they look the same!!!

Acapella

My friend Tori posted up some videos of Kelis and I realized that I don't know what she's up to. Searched her up and here it is, a new video:

Melt Your Heart Baby!

Pretty f***ing cute, no?

Yes, I Interact With The Homeless

I ride the train daily because: 1)I am a New Yorker and 2)I have no other mode of transportation. The thing about riding the subway, is that you are putting yourself out there amongst strangers to be interacted with, sometimes against your will.

Everyday that I ride the train, I can say that I will see on average ... about three homeless panhandling people. Sometimes they only ask for money, sometimes they ask for food as well.

Now, I'm a good person with a kind heart (at times) and I want to help out someone who does not have the means to feed them-self. BUT, I have this personal policy that I DO NOT GIVE MONEY - I GIVE FOOD. You can assume the reasons for my personal rule.

Surprisingly, there are times I have offered a granola bar, a fruit or cookies and I get turned down! Yes! Some of them turn down food and it pisses me off. Do not go on the train and tell people you're hungry, when you just want money! Anyways, I like to think that I am exposing their lie.

There was one time a homeless man turned down an apple, and he had a really legitimate reason. He opened his mouth and pointed to his pink toothless gums. Dang, I forgot the homeless do not get dental plans.

Skeletons

I'm a HUGE YeahYeahYeahs fan. This isn't one of their best songs or best videos, but it is new. Personally I think they should make a video for Dragon Queen - they could do something crazy sultry sexy nice.

These Boots...

I want them:


Don't they look spring, summer and fall friendly?

Pretty Picture

Google "Snippet Preview"

Some things in this world are absolutely useless. One of those things is Google Books "snippet preview" of books.

So I was on the internet hoping to find this book The Goat or Who Is Sylvia? for my class, and I tried reading the previews on Google Books. One of the search results turned up this:



Do you see those three useless things? Like ripped out pieces of paper from a book?

The part that upset me most about this wasn't the fact that it wasn't what I was looking for - It was the fact that they would present anyone with such useless information!

Clean&Cute Outfit

I was flipping through the new Urban Outfitter's Catalog for May '10. I must say, after looking at $19 bottles of nailpolish, frankenchicks in their catalog and not so inspiring styles, I saw something that just blew my mind away.

Something about the simple colors, straight lines and contrasting shapes made it noteworthy. The pieces individually aren't really impressive, see it here, it's number 9.

They Taste Like Chicken

We've all seen little moments on television where someone eats something exotic and their first description is, "It tastes like chicken." I have to tell you, that most things probably do.

A few years ago I tried frog legs at a thai restaurant. It tasted good. They were like minature versions of drumsticks, with lots of little bones in them and they tasted like chicken! Why is that? I did a bit of research on the internet to find out. Apparently, these meaty muscular pieces on the frog's legs is actually bland in flavor, like chicken breast is before it's seasoned and whatnot. It also has to do with the animal's ancestors. If they come from a common branch in the evolutionary chain, then they'll probabaly taste the same.

Look, frog meat vs chicken breast meat. Similar much?
&

Fun Fact: Did you know that we humans taste like pork? We've been described to have that flavor by cannibals and are reffered to as "long pork".

reference

Have You Tried The "NEW" Domino's Pizza?

I was not paid nor sponsored in any way to proclaim my findings.



Recently, I'm sure you've seen the new commercials where Domino is jesting at their terrible pizzas of the past and hailing their brand new recipe. It's true, it is not a lie.
Their old recipe made the sauce taste like a 45cent can of Krasdale Tomato Sauce. Their cheese was just cheese and their crust was well...crusty.Now their new pizzas feature a rich thick sauce, and a crust that'll make you rethink the goodness of generic garlic bread.

I know this sentence is a bit offensive to the reigning champion of pizza - Papa John's, but Domino's is on that level now.

P.S. What's up with KFC's new disgusting chicken sandwich without a bun?

For Four Short Hours, I become the most powerful woman in the world...

I am the hostess at a restaurant.

It’s a little restaurant located in downtown Brooklyn and for four hours on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, I become the most powerful woman in the world. You need a table – I’m the one you find. I find it astounding how my words can be set in stone when I speak to people. “The wait is forty minutes”, I would say and they’ll believe me! Ha!

There should be some rules set in place when it’s super busy and the wait is super long:

• Do not relocate yourself after you’ve been sat. I have a certain seating plan going on in my head to accommodate the other five parties after you on my waitlist, and doing this messes me up completely.
  
  
• Do not spend ten minutes deciding on whether or not you’ll stay and wait or go to another restaurant. I’m a busy girl and I will walk away.
  
  
• Please refrain from forcing your orders on me. Your waiter is going to tend to you soon.
• Do not leave coins. Sometimes I have to bus tables myself and it’s so annoying, because picking up coins can really slow a person down.
  
  
• Wait to be seated! If you go off and sit down, no one will know you’re there and you’ll feel like a fool waiting for service.
  
  
• After I have told you how long the wait is and written your name on my waitlist, please do not harass the waiters about how long it will take to be seated, they don’t know shit!
  
  
• Stop yourself if you’re calling to make a reservation ten minutes before you actually come in. If it’ll take at least thirty minutes till a table clears, your lil’ ten-minute-before phone call is not going to help you. Try a day in advance.
  
  
• Do not get upset with me if your waiting time is longer than expected. I can only seat you if people leave, so, if they’re not leaving then there’s nothing I can do, can I?

Have a Happy Wait. =]

Distinguishing: Cold or Flu?

This has probably happened to you: you've gotten sick, assessed your symptoms and diagnosed yourself as either having the cold or the flu.

I always thought that if the invading microbe enters from my nose, that I'll get a cold, but if it enters via my throat, then it's the flu. Apparently I was way off, and now that I think of it - that doesn't quite make sense.

So, I found this chart in the nurse's office at City College and I thought I should share it with you.

Enjoy your future self-diagnosis the right way.

The Top 4 Ladies That Rock My World

4. Lady Gaga. We all know her and feel a certain way towards her fashion risks. She can sing, no doubt about that, and her songs can cover topics ranging from frivolous dancing to love as a disease. She's also super bold to step into the game (out of nowhere), demand to be called "Lady" and we all believed her. Fave songs: The Fame, Beautiful Dirty Rich, I like it Rough, Teeth and Fever.

3. Peaches. The woman with the dirtiest lyrics you’ll ever hear! She refuses to be held back by gender norms and crosses the line between male and female again and again. Her electronic beats are hot and trancelike and her voice compliments them without any restraint. You want to feel badass? Dirty? Sexual? Peaches is where you go. Fave songs: Downtown, Rockshow, Operate, Boys Wanna Be Her, Tent In Your Pants.

2.Shingai Shoniwa. The lead singer in the band Noisettes. She’s a ball of energy on stage and on track. Her voice is very distinguishable, with its soothing tones and screechy high points. I adore the way she rocks her natural hair and dances on stage barefoot. Fave Songs: Don’t Give up, Nothing To Dread, Speedhorn, Every Now and Then, Never Forget You.

1. Karen O. She’s the front woman in the band The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, without her I’m sure their songs would not have that super kick that they do. Her vocals range from cat yowls to throaty screams. She is an absolute rocker. The songs can be downers or uppers, pick your drug, you’ll be happy either way! Fave songs: Man, Pin, Y Control, Gold Lion, Cheated Hearts, HoneyBear, Heads Will Roll.

We shouldn’t forget that Friendships are Relationships

Finding a new friend is like dating. You talk to the person, there’s a connection, then the two of you decide to hang out together and if you like each other enough, then daily phone calls are made. That’s the beginning.

How about the end? Can the end of friendships be nasty and heart-breaking as personal relationships are? I’ll like to answer that with a YES.
I recall last year when my ex (who was very upset that I left him for my current boyfriend) decided to tell all of our mutual friends about how nasty I am…well, how nasty I could be. I honesty didn’t mind losing most of them, but one of the friendships lost really shook me. IT REALLY SHOOK ME.
You know that feeling in your stomach, that empty hollowness like someone scooped it right out, leaving you defenseless and feeling a bit silly? Well, that’s how I felt. I was devastated. OMG, he broke up with me, was my exact thought. I was dumped - by a friend, but dumped nonetheless. Break-ups are so harsh on our egos.

So what do you do after the pain subsides? You get back into the game and make more friends!

I remember how my friendship with my best friend Torian began. We met through a mutual friend. There was a connection between us from the start. We began talking through AIM, then the phone, until one day he popped the question, “Let’s hang out.” I have to admit, that I was nervous at first and it took me an entire week until I agreed.
Then we went out, had fun, and by the end of the day I was sure that we would like to see more of each other. Till this day we are friends.

So the point of this entry is: Lose a friend, make another. Friendships are just like relationships, except you don’t have to be monogamous.

Corporate Cannibal

Zombie Movie Review: DEAD SNOW

Oh I am so excited to tell you about this movie! If you're into the zombie genre like me, then you'll LOVE it. It's a mix of comedy and gore, which are rarely mixed together, and it's a bit theatrical. The language is Norwegian with subtitles, but you don't even notice that because the dialogue isn't really important.



The plot of the story goes: A bunch of college students go to a cabin in some snowy mountains for their spring break. The students find out the land they're on was once occupied by the German Nazi's during the war, the Nazis were driven out and believed to have frozen to death. We find this is not true, because they are now ZOMBIES!!!!

The category of these Zombies are: runners (which make escape much more difficult), thinkers (stupid is always easier), weapon usage (knives and such) and they have a leader (General Herzog).



Great highlights of this movie are:
- guy getting ripped in two
- snowmobile vs zombie scenarios are carried out
- machine gun Attached to the snowmobile
- Chainsaw vs zombie scenarios
- how to's of re-orienting yourself after being buried in snow by an avalanche
- funny guy-throws-molotov-only-to-set-own-cabin on fire scene
- guy cuts off arm fearing spread of infection, then duct-tapes the wound

It's a fantastical movie. Absolute thumbs-up. I honestly wanted to re-watch it, after watching it.

Iceland Volcano = New Roomates?

If you've been keeping up with current events, you probably noticed the huge erupting volcano in Iceland.


So, how is this vocano affecting my daily life? Well, my boyfriend lives with a roomate who is a 30 yr-old Czech guy, a cool dude. Lately, we've had two more people living with us at the moment. They're the roomate's best friend since childhood with a girlfriend.
Apparently the ash from the volcano has caused airlines to shut down all aero-transporation over Europe. Damn wind blew it there and our new roomates are stranded in New York for the time being.

Why is this "ash" so dangerous for planes? I found a nifty little diagram to explain it all:

For now, it's been a little awkward around our new roomates. Things such as going to the bathroom and stopping short because someone is in there... That's pretty much it, but its still unpleasant holding it in. Until the ash goes away they can't get back to Czechoslovakia.

I really hope that Kalta volcano next to the erupting Eyjafjallajokull Volcano doesn't get agitated. Or this new addition will be permanent.

What's there to ENJOY

Today I went to see a play with my classmates. It was called Enjoy by the Japanese playwright Toshiki Okada. Apparently it was only in Japanese until a lovely American-Japanese woman Aya Ogawa translated.



So, I read the play for my class. It was pretty fucking ridiculous in text form. It was like talking like this..but - not really like that cus that would be weird right? But you know if you think about it - like we all - like you know, talk like this.

Yeah...it was a pain to read. Though, in performance mode it sounds absolutely normal! It's showing at the 59E59 Theater; which is pretty hype that their building happens to be number 59 on 59th street in Manhattan.

The play was alright. Definitely different I must admit. The props and background were barely there and it was mostly about the actors and actresses onstage. The play is focused on a band of co-workers that work in a manga cafe in the urban area of Shinjuku, Japan. It really discusses the generation gap and how they're not so different from each other. There's also a growing problem in Japan where college graduates are stuck with unskilled part-time jobs. Also how society views age, for example : if you've hit thirty and haven't made anything out of your career then you're a loser. A mindset, which I must admit sets us all up because this can happen to anyone.

La La La Nutella!

Close your eyes and breathe in deeply, imagine the aroma of hazelnut and chocolate invading your nostrils and swirling like magic in your brain.

That's the experience of eating Nutella:

Think of it as peanut butter, but instead of peanuts they use hazelnuts. Then some chocolate thrown in.

I think, about a year ago, this stuff was pretty sparse in grocery stores. Then all of a sudden it popped up out of no where! Now, most supermarkets and pharmacies sell it. I think it might have been FoodNetwork. I remember the first time I found out about this stuff, it was from Giada reminiscing about her childhood in Italy eating warm nutella covered pieces of bread.


I love Nutella. It's so wonderful.
I love my nutella&banana sandwiches. It's super great on Crepes and Pankcakes too.
So tired of peanut butter! It's Nutella time.

Such a Sweet Skirt

So I bought this skirt from UrbanOutfitters, it was on sale and looked nice.



Its your typical high waisted skirt with the addition of ruffles and what not. I must tell you how much I adore this skirt. It hugs my curves but doesn't show off my lil tummy fat too much.

I wore it with a plain white button-up shirt tucked in and a pair of black ballet flats. The result was elegant, sexy and lovely. And accessories helped it too.
&

I guess what I'm raving about is the simple addition of style this skirt brings.
I really can't wait to wear it with black tank tops and grey v-necked t-shirts this summer.
Skirt is available at Modcloth too.

French Toast!

I've made French Toast wrong before. I did terrible things to the bread where it just tasted like FriedEgg&Bread, Blah!

Watch this guy make French Toast and you will become a pro!

Book Review: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Let me categorize it for you: fiction --> speculative fiction --> Dystopian future

The book begins from the narrator Snowman. He's the only human around and not living the best life in this new post-apocalyptic world: he's usually hungry, paranoid of infection, lives in a tree and wears a bedsheet. We find he lives near a band of creatures called "the crakers" since they were made by Crake. Snowman tells us his story, when he used to be Jimmy and the world was fine...well, not really fine.
Through Jimmy's story we're plunged into a world where scientific corporations have alot of control. Like OrganInc, they created "pigoons", a pig that grows human organs. Healthwyzer, whom after curing all diseases starts to create them so they'll still be in business.
Jimmy becomes friends with Crake, who has that serial killer charisma with absolute scientific ingeniousness.
Oh yes, I should explain who Oryx is as well. She is this hot asian chick they both fall deeply in love with and she comes with a troubling past.

The book is told through two timelines:Jimmy's moving to the apocalyptic event where he becomes Snowman and Snowman progressing after the event.
Jimmy ------>Event/Snowman ------>future

Its a very interesting book because you can see that all these things are possible and futuristic books are just plain cool to read.

Mmm Mmm... extinction?

I'm not weird if I think the Filet-O-Fish Sandwich from Mcdonald's is absolutely delicious, am I?

I bought one today and I'll admit, I Love IT. It's exactly how they describe it "flaky fish, tangy tartar sauce and lightly steamed bun,"; believe me, it's totally getting me off.

The recent tragedy of eating this is the over fishing of the "hoki" fish they use. It's this blue silvery scaled fish that lives in New Zealand and Australia. The poor lil fish population has come under great stress since I began loving the filet-o-fish sandwich.

Might I add, that although Burger King's fries are better than McDonald's, their fish sandwich is no rival.

Book Review: Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk, if you're not familiar with him, is the author of Fight Club. It was a book then made into the movie we are all so familiar with featuring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

Invisible Monsters does not deviate from Palahniuk's original style of writing, you know, the kind where the narrator is talking and analyzing and shooting out snazzy little quotes (be they inspirational or depressingly truthful).

" She's a fashion model who has everything: a boyfriend, a career, a loyal best friend. But when a sudden freeway "accident" leaves her disfigured and incapable of speech, she goes from being the beautiful center of attention to being an invisible monster, so hideous that no one will acknowledge she exists. Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from becoming a real woman, who will teach her that reinventing yourself means erasing you past and making up something better. And that salvation hides in the last places you'll ever want to look."

That's the Publisher's summary.

Here's some snazzy quotes I love:

• "No matter how much you think you love somebody, you'll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close." (pg 15)
  
• "Beauty is power the same way money is power the same way a gun is power." (pg 14)
  
• "Any smart woman knows a beautiful man is her best fashion accesory" (pg24)
  
• "The most boring thing in the entire world is nudity" (pg112)
  
• "When you go out with a drunk, you'll notice how a drunk fills your glassso he can empty his own. (pg193)

Read the book, it's ...lovely. There's no movie of it yet, but books are always better anyway.

I See Seychelles at the Seashore

I think my new favorite Footwear brand is Seychelles.
I've fallen in love with their Mademoiselle Boots which come really close to my perfectly-versatile-pair-of-brown-boots that I've always wanted!



Take a look at their LookBook.


I'm loving:

Most Recent Sexy Quote

Have you ever read the Alice in Wonderland story?


...Well I was reading Chapter 1: Down the Rabbit-Hole and I found the sexiest quote ever:

"if you drink much from a bottle marked `poison,' it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later."



I love literary fierceness.

Movie Review: The Crazies

I haven't gone to the movies in a while - trying to save money and all that good stuff. Recently I went to see "The Crazies" because the trailer made it look like an awesome zombie movie and I do love my zombie movies.

The plot of the movie: a small farming town whose water supply was accidentally contaminated by some biological weapon. Signs of infection include: uncontrollable anger, lack of attentiveness, facial bleeding and killing those around you. The movie isn't only centered around these angry zombie-like people or Crazies, it's also about these military guys that drop in and pretty much begin killing everyone in order to control the infectious spread.

It was wasn't my typical zombie movie as I would have liked it to be. I was digging the idea of townspeople gradually turning though, but it felt like it was more about the Infection. This movie was really reminiscent of the movie "The Carriers" because it was about "who was infected and who wasn't" instead of "hey guys, let's get away from these zombies!" My choice of movies in this genre really favors the latter.

It wasn't a bad movie, it wasn't the greatest either. It was AlRiGht. If you're a zombie enthusiast like me, you'll see just because it's the only recent zombie flick out.



Side note!:Apparently this movie was a remake. Maybe I'll watch the original version, see how that sizes up.